11 Killed in 54 Days: No. of Tribal Deaths in Jumbo Attacks Puzzling

Alcoholism, use of mobile phones blamed for increase in deaths; not practical to increase surveillance inside forest as settlements are spread out, say authorities

- Manoj Viswanathan @Kochi

Tribal people are traditionally forest dwellers who have good knowledge of the behaviour of wild animals. However, surprisingly, 11 of the 13 people killed by wild elephants this year are from tribal communities. Among them were those who regularly collected forest produce and were well adapted to the habitat and the movement of wild animals.

Senior forest officers say they have held awareness campaigns in tribal settlements urging community members to be cautious and avoid moving around the forest during night hours. The large number of deaths among tribal people is puzzling. The forest department has deployed rapid response teams (RRTs) along forest fringes and strengthened their patrolling. Authorities say it is not practical to increase surveillance inside the forest as the settlements are spread out.